Golden State Warriors brass elated over trade for Andrew Bogut

With the trade now official, and after absorbing a cycle of negative reaction from the fans, members of Warriors management spoke publicly about the team's blockbuster move.

The gist of their unified message -- delivered before Wednesday's 105-103 loss to visiting Boston -- was clear: They hated to see star Monta Ellis go, but it was worth it to get center Andrew Bogut.

"While I know this is hard for many of our fans," Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob told this newspaper via email, "and perhaps not understandable to them, the fact is we just hit a home run."

The loss to Boston -- in which the Warriors rallied from an eight-point deficit to make it a nail-biter -- snapped Golden State's three-game win streak. Guard Nate Robinson, who finished with 20 points and 11 assists, missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds that would have put the Warriors ahead.

But not even defeat could squelch the joy of Warriors' management over Tuesday's trade.

The Warriors sent Ellis, ever-improving second-year big man Ekpe Udoh and the expiring contract of injured center Kwame Brown to Milwaukee. In return, Golden State received Bogut and swingman Stephen Jackson.

Another reason the Warriors made the trade was amplified Wednesday: rookie swingman Klay Thompson. A bonus from the departure of Ellis, per the Warriors, is that Thompson gets more minutes. Starting his second game at shooting guard, Thompson set a season-high with 26 points on 16 shots in 40 minutes of action.

"There is no secret -- he is not afraid of the moment," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said of Thompson.

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Yet, the home run Lacob was referring to is Bogut -- a 7-foot, 245-pound, 27-year-old, seven-year veteran.

Though he's injured, he's the answer to the franchise's annual search for a formidable big man. Though the trade cost the Warriors the beloved star of the franchise, the potential for next year's team -- Bogut, Thompson, forward David Lee, point guard Stephen Curry -- was too good to pass up.

Though they had to part with a prized young big man in Udoh, and now need to reassemble the bench, Warriors executives believe the future is as secure as it's ever been.

"I think next year, oh my goodness," said Jerry West, an executive board member and consultant for the Warriors. "You cannot judge a trade by what happens today. I think you have to look at what happens in the future. I think there's a lot of people particularly in the league, who I talked to, that thought we did really well."

Warriors general manager Larry Riley was ecstatic about the move and apparently couldn't wait to talk about it. He's been on the hunt for a center since he took over as the general manager before the 2009-10 season.

This past offseason, he went after Tyson Chandler (who opted to sign with New York) and DeAndre Jordan (who remained with the Los Angeles Clippers after they matched the Warriors offer). So you can understand why Riley was elated about landing Bogut, whom West called the third-best center in the NBA, presumably behind Orlando's Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum.

Riley, recognizing fans were upset at the move, defended the trade before Wednesday's game.

"We were finally able to bring a big man into this organization and a big man of quality," Riley said. "It's not the same old thing anymore. We took a bold step. We know it's a bold step.

"We were stuck," Riley continued. "You want to be stuck three games below .500 at this time of the year every year? You want to be stuck five games below or something like that? That's where we were. And that's where we were going again the next year if we couldn't do something."

Both Bogut and Stephen Jackson were on their way to the Bay Area by the time Wednesday's game tipped off. They are scheduled to take their physicals Thursday and will be introduced to local media Friday.

A couple of team sources said the Warriors are still fielding offers for Stephen Jackson. Some four or five teams have contacted the Warriors about Jackson, but none of the deals, one source said, was particularly appealing.

So, the Warriors are preparing to welcome Jackson to the fold. West said Jackson, who played for Golden State from 2007-09, is starter quality.

"There is no question about his ability to play," West said. "He can play multiple positions, can defend multiple positions, can score the basketball, can post up and definitely adds something to this basketball team. You can't hide the fact that people question his presence at times, but it's not a concern of mine. I know he's a player, a great competitor, and I'm excited to have him."

Riley said he's talked with Jackson, whom Riley worked out as a rookie while in the Vancouver Grizzlies front office. Riley said he wasn't concerned about which Jackson would show up.

"He'll be ready to play," Riley said.

Initially, some in the Warriors organization were against bringing in Jackson. But in the end, the opportunity to get Bogut was too appealing. Plus, Golden State is optimistic about Jackson.

"Yes, he has a somewhat controversial past here," Lacob said. "But he also had great success here and is a very, very good basketball player. He is a tough, big wing that can really defend. ... The only thing that matters is what can you do for us today and tomorrow? How can you make us better? In the end, our job is to get better and win."

Riley said Golden State likely will add a player after the trade deadline if the team doesn't make another move. He said the Warriors need to fill out the roster, possibly by signing someone to a 10-day contract.